


Always Come Back to You

by naturalnik95



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Agent Peggy Carter - Freeform, Angst, Bucky Barnes - Freeform, Bucky Barnes x Original Female Character - Freeform, Bucky barnes x reader - Freeform, Captain America - Freeform, Captain America Fic - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, Peggy Carter - Freeform, Series, Steve Rogers Twin, The Winter Soldier - Freeform, captain america fanfic, captain america rewrite, steve rogers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:53:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22818076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naturalnik95/pseuds/naturalnik95
Summary: A Stark Expo, a sweet confession between Bucky and Steve’s twin sister, and a new plan that no one saw coming.
Relationships: Bucky Barnes/Original Character(s), Bucky Barnes/Original Female Character(s), Bucky Barnes/Reader, Bucky Barnes/Rogers Sibling, Bucky Barnes/Rogers Twin, Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers!Sister
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

It had been over an hour and two chocolate milkshakes deep, and you were still waiting on Steve and Bucky to meet you at the diner. The music coming from the jukebox was grating on your nerves and you were ready to scream. 

Even though you were twins, Steve was always late where you were always early. And it was usually caused by your brothers obsessive need to stand up to bullies, which usually resulted in him being thrown into the trash. 

You stirred the runny liquid that was left at the bottom of your cup absent-mindly. Mostly, you were trying to tell yourself not to worry and that they probably just lost the time, but you’d know them for too long and they were always up to trouble. 

After checking the clock on the wall for what seemed like the hundredth time, you sighed and started to scoot out of the booth.

The ring of the diner doorbell stopped your movement and you eyes landed on Bucky, dressed in a soldiers uniform. He paused to look around the room for you and when his clear blue eyes found you, butterflies erupted in your stomach. 

You had known Bucky since you and Steve were children. He had come to your brother’s rescue and after that, you three were inseparable. It would be an understatement to say that you loved Bucky. For years, you had been a complete fool for him. Not that you’d told him in so many words but he knew. 

Bucky strutted down the aisle and slipped into the seat next to you gracefully. “Hey there, beautiful. Sorry to keep you waiting.” 

Steve shuffled behind him, hands stuffed in his pockets and he plopped down across from you two. You looked between the two of them, a raised eyebrow pointedly asking for an explanation. The boys eyes met swiftly and they tried to come up with an excuse telepathically. 

“You were supposed to be here over an hour ago.” You deadpanned. 

“I know, we’re sorry, Kat. I just had something I had to do first and it took longer than I’d expected.” Steve shifted uncomfortably, and you immediately know by the way he’s avoiding your stare exactly what happened. 

“So what, you went back to the recruiting office and they rejected you again?” Your tone was harsh and cold. 

Bucky slipped his arm around your shoulders, his hand brushing the skin on the back of your neck. “Calm down there, killer. We were actually at the movies.” 

“Without me? Yeah right.” You pretended to try and shrug off Bucky’s arm, secretly hoping he kept it there. He knew exactly what you were doing and he tucked you in a little tighter to his side. 

“Hey, I do stuff without you.” Steve crossed his arms with a huff. “We don’t always hang out with you, smart alec.” 

Childishly, you stuck your tongue out at him which he returned quickly. Sometimes he really was your bratty brother and the thought to ring his neck crossed your mind. You flipped your hair and shifted to look up at Bucky. 

“Buck, tell me the truth, please?” Your eyelashes fluttered softly. Bucky’s eyes glossed over and drooped a little, a goofy smile growing on his face. “Where were you guys?” 

Steve groaned loudly as he witnessed you play Bucky like a fiddle. He wasn’t blind, he knew that his best friend and his sister were in love with each other. Even if they hadn’t confessed it to each other yet. But he was too set in his ways to mention it.

You could hear Steve in the background threatening Bucky not to tell but you knew he wasn’t listening. His eyes were locked with yours and your finger was tracing little shapes on his chest. Deep down, your heart was racing and your senses were being blurred by the intoxicating smell of his cologne. Your mind was screaming, ‘kiss him, you damn fool’ but you kept your sights set on the target. 

“Well…” 

“Bucky, don’t!” 

You nuzzled a little closer. “Steve was in a little scrap and I had to help him out.” 

Satisfied, you gave him a sweet little smile before turning and smirking at your brother. Bucky’s head fell to your shoulder in defeat.

“What was that about you two not hanging out with me?” 

“Buck,” Steve glared at him, “you are weak. Weak, I tell you.” 

You leaned forward and Bucky’s hand fell to your back. “Now, do you wanna tell me what you got in a fight for this time? Or am I going to have to pry it out of you?” Steve sunk into the booth and ignored your gaze. “Don’t make me come over there, Stevie.” 

“I don’t want to tell you, Kat, okay? Can you just drop it already?” 

God he could be such a punk. “No, I’m not going to just drop it. Especially when I already have an inkling it involves that damn recruiting office somehow.” Steve refused to meet your eyes, instead looking over to the other booths, and that pissed you off even more. “How many times are they gonna have to tell you ‘no’ before you get it through your thick skull.”

“Doll-”

“No, you just keep pushing and pushing.” 

Bucky reached forward and grabbed your hand to pull your attention back to him. “Doll, just take a breath.” 

The irrational girl in you wanted to swoon at your hand in his but instead you scowled. “He’s gonna get himself killed if he keeps at this pace. They’ll get so fed up that they’ll just make him a soldier to shut him up.”

Steve started to interject but Bucky held up his other hand to stop him. 

“Now what’s so wrong with being a soldier?” He gave you his famous smile, teasing you. 

You yanked your hand out of his and leaned away, a pout growing on your face. You looked so adorable that Bucky just wanted to kiss you until the pout was gone, but that probably wouldn’t go over well with his best friend, so instead he just grinned at you. 

“You know exactly what’s wrong with that, and I’d appreciate if you didn’t patronize me, James Buchanan Barnes. It’s bad enough that you signed up…” You trailed off before you spilled too many of your feelings, even if everyone knew exactly what you meant. “Anyways, I just don’t want to lose both of you all at once. 

Realization flashed in Steve’s eyes, realization that you were just scared. He unfolded his arms and reached forward to grasp your hand, the worry lines in your forehead starting to disappear. Bucky smiled warmly at the two of you, the only family he’d ever known. 

“Okay, as much as I love this feelings-fest, I have a great plan.” Bucky announced, slapping his hands on the table. The way his eyes would shine when he was excited always made you so giddy and you immediately knew you would agree to whatever he was going to suggest. 

“And what would that be, Sergeant Barnes?” You quipped, a glint of the devil in your eyes. 

Bucky’s eyes darkened for a fraction of a second, thoughts he’d never say out loud flashing in his head, the thought of his title rolling off your lips again and again. He cleared his throat, remembering that you both were watching him.

“We are going to the Stark Expo!” Your eyes widened in surprise, “I can’t let you have that frown on all night, can I?” His thumb brushed your cheek and you felt the heat rise in them at the action. 

“I think I’m going to skip out on that one.” Steve was already weirded out by you two flirting so blatantly in front of him. He didn’t think he could handle a whole night of you two so close, especially with what Bucky had just told him. 

“Oh no, Stevie, you’re not allowed!” You were bouncing in your seat. You resembled a little puppy that just told you were going on a walk. 

“Yeah, Steve, you’ve got to come along. It wouldn’t be right without you.” Bucky was persistent that he had to come and he should’ve known that he had something up his sleeve. Steve exhaled loudly out of his nose before nodding in acceptance. “Great. Now you go put on your best dress, doll. You’re going to outshine every bird there tonight.” 

You squealed a little before squeezing over Bucky to get out of the booth. He watched with a dopey smile on his face as you left the diner. No matter how many days he spent with you, he lived for seeing you get excited about stuff. 

Steve cleared his throat and Bucky’s eyes snapped to meet his. He gave him a disapproving look and shook his head as he signaled for the waitress.

“Oh geez, what’s the look for?” 

“You didn’t tell her that you’re leaving tomorrow, Buck. Do you really think that’s fair to her?” 

Bucky rubbed his forehead for a second, knowing he’d been caught. For being a soldier and seeing the things he’d seen, the thought of telling you was petrifying. 

“I just…I want her to have a great night with me before I have to tell her. I can’t bare to see that look on her face any sooner than I have to.” 

He knew that look better than anyone. He’d seen it three times in his life. The first time was when you were ten and he’d ripped your favorite dress. The second time was when you were sixteen and you’d caught him kissing Darlene Shirly behind the school. And the third was when he’d told you that he’d signed up for the Army.

It was a look of pure heartbreak. And Bucky knew that when he told you he was leaving for England in the morning, he’d see that same look. 

He wanted, instead, to make you giggle all night and see that little blush on the tops of your cheeks when he whispered into your ear. He wanted to dance with you until the early hours, to hold you close and know that you loved him as much as he loved you, even if it was unspoken. 

Steve sighed and nodded, understanding exactly what he meant. He’d seen what it had done to you when Bucky had left. He would listen to your muffled cries through the nights and see you barely muddle through the days. When Bucky had finally come home, Steve had rarely found you anywhere but at Bucky’s side. 

“I get it, Buck, I really do. It’s just hard to watch her be so happy when I know she’s gonna be so torn up in a few hours. I just feel like I oughta punch you or something for hurtin’ my sister.”

Bucky guaffed at the image of Steve punching him before his mind seemed to go to another place. “Yeah, I know. But trust me, when I come home, I’m gonna marry her.” 

Steve’s eyes bugged out at the confession. He had never heard Bucky be so upfront about his feelings towards you. But for some reason, now that it had been said out loud, Steve didn’t feel so bad about his best friend and sister being together. 

~~~

Bucky’s jaw dropped at the sight of you at the top of the steps. The royal blue of your dress was a perfect contrast of your skin, your dark hair was curled softly and sitting on your shoulders. The sight was absolutely breathtaking. 

You hovered there, waiting for him to say something, a glint of humor on your face. but just the sight of him speechless was invigorating. The burn of his eyes on you was almost like he was searing your soul with his mark. 

He reached his hand out for you when you reached the last few stairs and delicately brought your knuckles to his lips. Your stomach flipped with nerves as you stepped onto the last step and stood at eye level with Bucky.

“Wow, you look stunning, Kat.” He was gazing up at you with pure adoration in his crystal blue eyes. 

You slid your hand over his shoulder and smiled sweetly, “you look pretty wow yourself, Sergeant Barnes.” 

To hear those words come from your mouth was a sweet melody to Bucky. He knew that if he could make it home to you, he would listen to just about anything you had to say for the rest of his life - even when you got bossy. 

He stepped back to give you room, “after you, sweetheart. We can’t let all this beauty be wasted on just me. Stevie’s waiting on us.” 

You slinked past him, brushing against his chest and giving him a cheeky smile, you started down the street. “Now who did you set him up with tonight, Barnes?” 

Bucky pretended to be offended by the accusation. Your eyes bore into his, knowing exactly what he’d done, just like he’d done many times in the past, and instantly he crumbled. “Okay, okay, I set him up with Connie Welch.” 

“And how exactly did you convince this girl to go on a date without actually meeting Steve?” 

You knew that the girls around here never really appreciated Steve. They all swooned for Bucky and tolerated Steve or acted like he was a chore. It had always driven you crazy that no girl would try to see everything that your brother was or could be. 

“Just a little charm.” Bucky flashed you a grin and your lips pursed into a straight line. 

“He’s gonna kill you for this.” You turned to walk into the expo, your eyes scanning over the crowd for your twin.

The entire place was packed to the brim with people all trying to catch a glimpse of the next great invention. The lights were bright and bold, highlighting the genius technology. Your foot was tapping along with the jazz band that was playing in between presentations.

Steve watched you walk through the expo entrance with Bucky trailing behind you and headed in your direction. He hesitated for a fraction of a second as a girl flounced over to Bucky eagerly. He groaned internally, realizing that this had been the plan all along. He knew he should have escaped when he had the chance. 

As he approached the group, Bucky’s eyes flickered over to meet his, “Ah, here is he. Connie, this is Steve.” His arm wrapped around Steve’s back and nudged him forward. The girl’s smile faded slowly as she caught view of Steve.

You appeared at his side and sent him a reassuring look before tugging on Bucky’s sleeve. “Look, Buck, let’s go over there. Howard Stark is supposed to be showing his flying car.” 

“As you wish, my dear.” Bucky spun you around in the direction of the stage and you couldn’t help but giggle when he wrapped his arm around your shoulders and pressed a kiss to your cheek. 

Steve turned to look at Connie who looked less than pleased to be stuck with the scrawny guy. Still the gentleman, he offered his arm out to her. Connie rolled her eyes and huffed, pushing past him to follow after Bucky. 

~~~

You were clapping enthusiastically at the end of Stark’s presentation, amazed at the possibility of flying cars in the future. It was no secret that Howard Stark was a genius and you had always secretly wished to work alongside him on some great invention. 

Bucky bent forward, his breath hot on your ear and a shiver ran down your spine, “How about we sneak off for a minute, sugar?” 

You glanced up at him through your eyelashes and he was so entranced with your beauty that he’d barely caught it when you nodded. He squeezed your hand tight and started to lead you away from the crowd, tossing a faint ‘be right back’ to Steve and Connie. 

Bucky and you strolled along the street, enjoying the comfortable quiet, both of you picturing moments like this for the rest of your life. Maybe moments with little feet following along beside you. 

“Listen, doll, I gotta tell you something.” Bucky’s deep voice broke the silence as he pulled you to a stop. His head was tilted up to look up at the stars as he tried to build the confidence to tell you. 

Your heart dropped in anticipation. This very moment had been looming over you all day and it had still come too quickly. 

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” You whispered faintly. 

His head snapped back and his eyes searched yours confused. “How did you know that? Steve told you, didn’t he? I swear I’m gonna kill that little pipsqueak-” 

“Buck,” you placed your hand on his chest to stop his rambling, “no one had to tell me. You’re wearing your uniform today. I’m not an idiot, I know what that means.” 

“Kat, I’m so sorry. I just wanted you to have a good night tonight before you found out.” Bucky cupped your cheek and you leaned into his touch. “You have to believe me when I tell you that it’s killing me to leave you.” 

Tears swelled up in your eyes and you smiled sadly, “I’m not mad, Bucky. It’s not like it’s something I can control. All I want is for you to come home to me when this is all over.” 

“God, I sure am gonna miss you something fierce.” His thumb was rubbing softly against your skin and the sensation was causing goosebumps to rise along your arms. “It’s gonna be hard not to see your beautiful face every day.” 

A small smile tugged at the edge of your lips. “I’m sure there’s some gorgeous girls wherever you’re going. You’ll forget all about me in a week.” You quipped. 

Bucky rolled his eyes but you could see a smirk fighting to appear. Then his face sobered, “nothing and no one will ever make me forget how I feel about you, Katherine Rogers. I will love you through a war, through the hard times and the easy times in our life, through whatever may come our way.” 

Your heart was pounding erratically at his confession. You had never questioned how he felt about you but he had never said the words. Now that he had, you wanted to hear it again and again. 

“Please say something. Oh geez, I’m sorry if that was strange. I just thought you felt the same. Just forget I said that.” His hand started to fall away but you grabbed it and held it in place. 

“I love you too, James Barnes. I always have, since I was a little girl, and nothing in this world will ever stop the love I have for you.” 

“I promise you this, I will always come back to you.” 

You lifted up onto your tippy toes and brushed your lips against his. Bucky wavered in shock for only a moment before pressing back against you, his hand gripping the back of your head and holding you against him. 

It was a chaste kiss, a kiss that promised the possibility of a thousand more, but it was perfect. At this moment, you couldn’t think of anything else but staying in his arms forever. 

Finally, he pulled back a fraction of an inch and looked down at your face. He took in the sight of your parted red lips, your dreamy eyes, the flush of your cheeks, and stored it away in his memory for later. 

He breathed out a chuckle as you nuzzled your face into the crook of his neck. “You took that remarkably better than I expected.” 

“Well I am much more mature than you.” You joked lightly, your breath fanning against his neck. 

“You can be such a brat sometimes.” You felt the rumble of Bucky’s laugh in his chest and you leaned back up to catch a glimpse of his smile. 

“Come on, we better get back. I’m sure Steve’s about ready to climb a wall.” You giggled, picturing your brother and Connie standing around awkwardly. You pecked one last kiss onto Bucky’s lips before dragging the reluctant man back to the expo. 

You pushed your way through the crowd just in time to catch a glimpse of Steve making a beeline for a recruitment office. You groaned loudly and gestured in his direction to Bucky. He sighed heavily and pulled you behind him. 

Steve was standing on a trigger plate that put his image on a photo of a soldier’s body when Bucky shoved him softly from behind. 

“Come on, I think you’re kind of missing the point of a double date. Let’s take the girls dancing.” Bucky gave Steve a look and looked pointedly over to Connie who was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. 

“You go ahead, I’ll catch up with you.” 

You stepped forward, “you’re really gonna do this again, Steve? What, as Steve from Ohio this time?” 

“They’re gonna catch you, or worse, they’ll actually take you.” Bucky drove his hands in his pockets with frustration. His back muscles were tense under his jacket. 

“I know you two don’t think I can do this-” 

“This isn’t a back alley, Steve, it’s war. Why are you so keen on fighting when there are so many other important jobs. Including staying and watching after your sister.” 

You scowled, starting to interject that you didn’t need watching over, but Steve kept arguing. 

“I’m not gonna just sit in a factory. Bucky, listen. There are men laying down their lives and I’ve got no right to do any less than them. That’s what you don’t understand. This isn’t about me.” 

You moved to stand next to your brother and looked at him dolefully. For your entire life you’d been chasing after him, keeping him from doing stupid stuff. But you were finally starting to understand that he was never going to give this up. 

You released the deep breath you’d been holding. “If you’re set on doing this, I’m signing up too.” 

Steve and Bucky’s mouths both gaped open in astonishment. They were dead silent so you took matters into your own hands and marched toward the desk with determination. Jumping into action, they scurried after you. Bucky wrapped his hand around your upper arm and tugged you backwards. 

“There’s no way in hell I’m letting you do this.” He commanded. 

Roughly, you yanked your arm out of his grip and glared at him. “You are not the boss of me. If Steve is dead set on going, then I’m going too. The announcers said they still need nurses.” 

Bucky’s eyes were filled with desperation. “Kat, please don’t do this. Anything could happen and I can’t risk losing you.” 

You tilted your head, completely appalled. “What, so I can risk losing you but you’re not able to do the same. You expect me to sit here waiting on you and my brother to live or die. That’s not who I am, Buck, and you know that.” 

Bucky dropped his head, a sheepish look on his face. “You’re right, I’m being selfish.” He glanced back at Steve before returning back to your eyes. “I promised I would always come back to you. I guess you’ll have to make that same promise. And you’ve got to promise to keep this dummy outta trouble.” 

You put your arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. You wanted to enjoy every last possible moment. You didn’t know what was in store for you, but you had a feeling that after tonight, it would be a very long time before you got to see him again. 

You eventually let go woefully, your fingers still playing with the hair at the back of his neck. 

“I’ll come find you when I’m done, okay? We’ve still got plenty of time before you have to ship off. Oh, and you better tell Connie that her date’s run off.” You gave him another soft kiss, relishing in the feel. Then turned to your brother. “Let’s go, Stevie.” 

“Are you sure about this, Kat? You don’t have to do this.” 

“Of course, I’m sure. I’m not letting you go anywhere without me. We’ve been through hell together and we’ll go through this together too. We’re a package deal, kid.” You punched his arm teasingly and he couldn’t help the grin that grew. 

He offered you his arm and you graciously accepted it, letting him lead you deeper into the building. All the while, an older man was observing the entire scene and was already planning yours and your brother’s future.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat and Steve get into the army and go to boot camp. They have a crazy set of adventures. Sorry there is no Bucky in this chapter (he’s gone, remember?)

When the man burst into the room, you were a little astonished. He was a short-statured man with messy hair. His glasses rested askew on his nose, making it look like he’d just been woken up in a hurry and run all the way here. 

“My name is Dr. Abraham Erskine. I represent the Strategic Scientific Reserve.” He held out his hand for you. You stared at it for a moment before reaching forward and shaking it. 

“Hello, my name is-” 

“Katherine Rogers. Yes, yes, I just came from meeting your brother, Steven.” 

You swallowed thickly. Great, Steve been caught and you were about to go down as an accessory. You were somewhat wishing you’d asked Bucky to stick around. He would’ve known exactly what to do. 

“You can relax, dear, we are not going to be sending him to prison any time soon.” Your shoulders slumped with relief. “Instead, we are going to give him a chance.” 

“You are?” This was the last thing you’d expected to hear. He’d been rejected five times and now they were just letting him in so casually, as if it wasn’t his entire life on the line.

Dr. Erskine looked up from the folder he was holding and studied you. The tension was building in the tiny room and you couldn’t help but fidget under his eye. 

“Why did you come here this evening, Ms. Rogers?” 

“You said you met my brother. He can be pretty convincing when he wants to be.” You said as if that was all the explanation he would need. 

He bobbed his head, chuckling. “That is very true. But what I asked is why are you here? I have a feeling it’s not just because Steven persuaded you. In fact, I believe you quite surprised him when you suggested it.” 

Your brow crinkled as you tried to pinpoint what exactly made you decide to enlist. “Dr. Erskine, have you ever had someone who you were so close to that you felt like they were a part of you? Someone who shared your thoughts, your pain, your happiness.” 

He shook his head thoughtfully, “I can’t say that I have.” 

“I’ve lived in this world for exactly 9 minutes without Steve. And for every minute after, he’s been there. He’s always known exactly what I’ve been thinking, he’s wiped my tears in every awful situation, he’s felt every emotion I felt. I know my brother can be a bit of an idiot sometimes, so I follow him around and keep him out of trouble. But I can tell you this, living in this world without him for 9 minutes is about all I can take. So if going across seas to join the fight is what he’s determined to do, then that’s where I’m going too.” 

You let out a shaky breath. It was dawning on you that you maybe should have given a better answer, something like ‘I love to support our troops’ or ‘it’s my duty to help’, but those all sounded like robotic crud. 

Dr. Erskine exhaled a breathy laugh. “You two are most certainly twins. Has anyone ever told you that you’ve got too much blind loyalty?” 

“I’m too stubborn to listen if they did.” You stood up a little taller and pushed your shoulders back. It was probably best to prepare yourself for him to tell you to go home. 

“If you ask me, blind loyalty isn’t always a bad thing.” He winked at you before whisking out of the room. You stumbled behind him, shocked he hadn’t told you to hit the road. “Have you got any nursing experience, Katherine?” 

“Uh, my mother was a nurse in the tuberculosis ward before she passed. She taught me everything she knew.” You strained to see over his shoulder what he was writing on the paperwork. 

“I will be assigning you to the same camp as Steven, in the nursing division. I have a feeling we will see some great things from you, Katherine Rogers.” 

He slammed the stamp onto the paper and handed it to you before heading toward the door. 

“Th-thank you, sir.” You read over the paper, flabbergasted. “Oh, Dr. Erksine?”

He turned on his heel, a raised brow in acknowledgement. “You, um, you said that you were with the Scientific division? Do you work with Howard Stark?” 

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. Why do you ask?” 

“I just read a journal of his discussing the new self-flying technology he’s been working on. His thinking on it is just…it’s fascinating. I bet it’s amazing getting to work alongside someone like him.” 

A grin jerked at the corner of his mouth, “Howard Stark is definitely his own individual.” Dr. Erskine took a few steps before pausing, “although, he does tend to think he’s wittier than he truly is.” You hid a giggle behind your papers as you watched the man retreat. 

~~~

Camp Lehigh was everything you’d expected and nothing like you’d imagined. The second you’d set foot off the bus, they’d whisked you off in another direction, away from Steve. You’d been handed a set of clothes and immediately put into training. 

The days were long to you. Even when you had worked at home, you had never felt the utter exhaustion that you were feeling from going through basic training. But the girls you were training with were nice enough and you can assume this is what it might have been like to have sisters. 

With every day that passed, you were gaining a variety of new skills. You were being put through a vigorous workout routine every morning and intense medical education in the afternoons. You could feel your body and your mind getting stronger and stronger.

Each workout gave you the opportunity to keep an eye on Steve and watch as he struggled to keep up with the rest of the soldiers, but you admired that he never gave up. Some things never changed. You’d even caught a glimpse of Agent Carter sucker punch a guy right in the nose and it had truly been one of the best moments of your life. She was a goddess to you. She was smart, strong, witty, and gorgeous. And you were going to do everything to prove that you were on her level.

At the end of each day, you would crawl into your little cot and write out a letter to Bucky. You wrote about every detail you could remember. The new technique you’d learned that day, how you’d seen Steve riding into camp with Agent Carter, the way the blue sky made you think of his eyes, how much you wished he could see how well you were progressing. You had let to receive anything back, but you knew deep down that he was thinking about you too. You missed him more than you could ever put into words, but there was so much to fill your time that you didn’t have time to really think of missing him.

It took you two weeks to met Peggy Carter face-to-face. You were preparing for your first gas mask training sequence. The entire time, your mind was somewhere else, imagining ways that the gas mask could be improved. Although, you’d be way too chicken to tell anyone these improvements, it was nice to dream sometimes. 

You’d slipped to the back of the line, trying to buy yourself some time, when you clumsily bumped into someone. 

“Oh my lord, I am so incredibly sorry.” You turned wide-eyed, to find Agent Peggy Carter vaguely disoriented. Your heart slammed in your chest at the realization of who it was. 

“It’s quite alright…” 

“Rogers, ma’am, Katherine Rogers.” Immediately right-ing yourself into the correct stance. 

Peggy looked you up and down, pondering, “Rogers. Is there any relation to Private Steve Rogers?” 

“Yes, ma’am, that’s my twin brother.” 

“Ah,” Peggy bowed her head, a slight smile hidden, “and may I ask why you were moving to the back of the line?” 

You unintentionally cringed, “well, ma’am, my mind had been occupied with something else and I just didn’t want to lose my idea. Sometimes they can disappear as easily as they appear.” 

“And what idea would be more important than your training, may I ask?” Her face was stern now, her gaze scrutinizing. God, could you be more of a dingus in front of her?

You gulped, weighing your options of telling her, begging for forgiveness, or just shutting up all together. You wanted to clamp your mouth shut for the rest of the day, but for some reason, when you got nervous, you had what Steve would crudely call word vomit. 

“Well…you see…I was just thinking of ways to improve the operation of the gas mask to increase effectiveness, protection, and comfort…” You trailed off. The feel of several other eyes on you was starting to crawl on the back of your head like beetles. It was a feeling you wanted to shake off but you stayed still a statue. 

Agent Carter was motionless, considering what you had said. Your insides were cringing, waiting for the reprimand that was sure to come from your wasting valuable time. You wished the ground would open up and swallow you whole, effectively ending this conversation.

“And what improvements would those be, Rogers?” 

Surely you’d misunderstood her. “Excuse me?” 

“I asked you what improvements you thought there should be?” 

You glanced around at the rest of the group, still praying that someone might step in and get you out of this, only to meet sympathetic faces. You knew better though, no one wanted to mess with Agent Carter when she was out to prove a point. 

“Yes, Agent Carter. I thought it would be beneficial to take away the hose that holds the filter canister, rather making the canister screw in directly. This would make the entire mask more compact and more convenient for carrying.” You paused, waiting for her to say something, but she was still quiet so you continued. “And if we use a durable plastic, rather than glass, then it would cut costs on replacement material and would be more lightweight for longwear.” 

It was dead silent in the room as you finished. No one even dared to move a muscle, they were all waiting for the outburst that was sure to come. You had no idea why you couldn’t just keep your mouth shut. The military was definitely the wrong place for your strong personality.

The longer Agent Carter stared at you, the more the tears threatened to spill out. You could feel your bottom lip quivering and you bit down on it hard.

“Those are some interesting observations, Rogers. I appreciate the ingenuity, however next time, please stay focused on your training.” 

“Ye-yes ma’am.” You stammered. 

Agent Carter gave a curt nod before striding out of the room, the click of her heels fading down the hallway. Shakily, you let out the breath you’d been holding in and marveled at the fact you hadn’t been sent to run laps for the rest of the afternoon. You smoothed down your uniform and turned back around to find everyone’s eyes on you. 

“Well, you heard the lady, let’s get back to training.” 

~~~ 

When Colonel Phillips had pulled you out of afternoon training the next day, your heart was pounding in your chest. Even though you’d had that little run in with Agent Carter, you had thought you’d been excelling. 

Your jaw dropped when he directed you to a room and Steve was sitting in a chair next to Agent Carter. 

“Oh no, this cannot be good.” You hissed. “What did you do to get us both in trouble?” 

“I jumped on a grenade during training…” 

“You what?!” You shrieked in disbelief and Agent Carter chuckled. “Look, Agent, I apologize profusely for my brother. He can be a real dummy sometimes but I promise he’ll be better-”

“Don’t apologize for me, Kat. You’re always talking about me like I’m not her-” Steve argued.

“Shut up both of you!” Colonel Phillips hollered, silencing the entire room. He turned to look at Agent Carter. “Are you really sure about this?” 

Agent Carter ignored him and looked at you and Steve, her lips pursed. It almost seemed like she was trying to hide a smile but you weren’t sure. “Neither of you are in trouble. You’re actually here for something else. Please, sit down and please, call me Peggy.” 

You followed suit and sat down cautiously in the seat next to Steve. His leg was shaking, a sign that he was nervous, so you placed your hand on his forearm in hopes to calm him. 

“Now, let’s get to business, shall we?” Peggy’s eyes flickered between the two of you before continuing. “We have been observing you two since you’ve arrived. And we’re quite interested in what we’ve seen.” 

“What, exactly, have you seen? If you don’t mind me asking?” 

“Well, we’ve seen two people who are incredibly brave, determined to succeed despite…obvious obstacles, extreme intelligence, and fierce loyalty.” Colonel Phillips snorted in the corner of the room causing Peggy’s jaw to tense before continuing. “And in spite of some people’s disapproval, we have decided to ask you both to participate in a scientific program for the United States.” 

Your head tilted immediately in disbelief. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I understand. Scientific program? Like work in the science division?” 

Peggy cleared her throat, “well, you would both be entered into the Super-Soldier program. It is experimental but if it worked, you would both be great assets in the war and for the US.” 

“Experimental, as in they would use us as test subjects?” What the hell was happening. 

You glanced over at Steve, who had been silent this whole time. His gaze was focused on his hands in his lap. You wanted to reach over and shake his shoulders but Peggy started talking again. 

“Yes, you would technically be test subjects. Howard Stark and Dr. Erskine have been working on this for a very long time though and we would never ask this of you unless we believed we had a good chance.” 

“A good chance?” You stared at Peggy like she’d spoken in tongues. “Why are you asking us to do this? Isn’t there anyone else who could do this?” 

Peggy leaned forward, “Katherine, we believe that you and Steve are the best people for this program. You both have the qualities we think are important to qualify. We just need your consent and you will have agreed to help us win this war.” 

You wanted to refuse, to simply say ‘no thank you’ and go back to your regular training, but something in her voice made you hesitate. The look in her eyes told you that she believed in this program with all her heart. For a moment, you even wondered what Bucky would have to say. He’d surely be telling you to think this through before agreeing to anything.

You opened your mouth to speak when Steve interrupted you. “I’ll do it.” 

“Steve-”

“Sign me up.” He disregarded you completely and looked straight at Peggy. “Just tell me what I have to do.” 

You bit your lip angrily, swallowing down all the hateful comments you had ready. Instead, you sat forward slowly. “Fine, you can count me in. But on one condition,” Peggy raised a brow curiously, “I get to talk to Howard Stark for ten minutes.” 

Peggy laughed heartily before nodding her head. “I think that is something I can arrange. He’s quite interested in meeting you as well. He really liked your gas mask ideas.” 

You were so shocked that your eyes almost popped out of their sockets. “Howard Stark knows that I exist? And he thought my idea was good? Holy cow, I cannot believe that.” You looked over at Steve in excitement but he was still staring down at the table. He hadn’t made eye contact with you through this whole meeting. He couldn’t really be mad at you for apologizing for him, could he? 

“Yes, yes he does. Now let’s get you both in with the doctors for physicals and you’ll be taken to meet Howard and Dr. Erskine tomorrow.” Peggy stood up and gestured toward the door. 

Steve shot out of his chair and out the door like a rocket. You’d followed after him but he was halfway down the hall before a nurse grabbed your arm and led you in a different direction. But there was no question, you’d talk to him before the day was over. 

~~~ 

It was quite on the camp as you snuck through the shadows to your brothers barracks. He’d avoided you all evening but he wasn’t gonna get away from you that easily and he should know it. Once you wanted something, you were like a dog with a bone. 

Placing your ear against the door, it was quite so you hoped the rest of the men were out. As quiet as possible, you twisted the handle and slipped between the crack. You looked around and saw Steve sitting on his bed with his back to the door. He peered over his shoulder to see you and his eyes narrowed. 

“You’re not allowed to be in here.” He said brusquely. 

“You didn’t give me much of a choice. You refused to talk to me all day and I don’t know why.” In a few steps, you were standing next to his cot, staring down at your twin brother. 

Steve sighed and set his book down. “Kat, you really should leave.” 

You sat down next to him and grabbed his hand. “Please tell me what I did wrong, Stevie. I agreed to do the program and everything will be alright.” 

“That’s just it, Kat. You’re always doing things because you think you need to watch out for me or be with me. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow but if it’s bad and you get hurt, it’ll be because of me.” 

“Oh Stevie, that’s not why I chose to do it-” 

A knock on the door pulled your focus away and turned to watch Dr. Erskine step in. 

“Ms. Rogers, how did I somehow know that I would find you here.” He sat down on the cot across from Steve’s. “Can’t sleep?” 

“Got the jitters, I guess.” Steve replied for you both. 

“Ah, me too. Tomorrow is a big day.” Dr. Erskine smiled at you kindly. 

Steve rubbed his hands on his thighs for a moment. “Can I ask you a question?” Dr. Erskine nodded for him to continue. “Why us?”

“I suppose that is the only question that matters…” He was fiddling with a bottle he’d brought, trying to come up with the best explanation. He tilted it in your direction to show the label clearly. “This is from Augsburg, my city. So many people forget that the first country the Nazis invaded was their own. You know, after the last war there, my people struggled. They felt weak, they felt small.” Your stomach clenched at the thought and there was an underlying urge to comfort him. 

“And then Hitler comes along with the big show, and the flags… And he hears of me, and he finds me. He told me, ‘you, you will make us strong.’ but I am not interested. So he sent the head of Hydra, his research division, a brilliant scientist by the name of Johann Schmidt.” A chill ran through your body. Wherever this story was heading could not turn out good. 

“Now, Schmidt is a member of the inner circle, and he is ambitious. He and Hitler share a passion for occult power and Teutonic myth.” It’s hard to see the point but you’re immersed into the story. “Hitler uses his fantasies to inspire his followers. But for Schmidt, it is not fantasy. For him, it is real. He is convinced there is a great power hidden in the earth, left here by the gods, waiting to be seized by a superior man. So when he hears about my formula and what it can do…he cannot resist. Schmidt must become that superior man.” 

You nearly jump out of your skin when Steve speaks. “Did it make him stronger?” You had been so into the story, you’d forgotten that he was sitting next to you.

“Yes, but there were other…effects.” A lump formed in your throat. Dr. Erskine gave you a sympathetic look when he noticed your face had paled. “The serum was not ready. But more importantly…the man. The serum amplifies everything that is inside, so good becomes great. Bad becomes worse.” 

When you hear those words, panic rises to the forefront of your mind. You’re not ready for this type of responsibility. What if something happens and you turn into a monster. What if you’re not as good as they think you are. Bucky does call you a brat an awful lot. 

As if reading your thoughts, he continues, “this is why you both were chosen. Because a strong man who has known power all his life may lose respect for that power. But a weak man or women,” he winks at you, “knows the value of strength, and knows compassion. I’ve never met another pair who are more perfect for this responsibility.” 

“Thanks, I think.” Steve said for you both again. His brow furrowed as he slips into his own mind. 

Dr. Erskine gave you a reassuring smile before pointing to the glasses at the end of Steve’s cot. You hold them out for him to fill and hand one to Steve. 

“Whatever happens tomorrow, you two must promise me one thing. That you will stay who you are… Not perfect soldiers, but a good person.” 

Steve finally looks at you and you know that what Dr. Erskine has said made more of an impact that anything you could have said. You lean over and kiss his baby soft cheek. He raises his glass to you both. “To the little guys.” 

With a giddy clink of glasses, you lift the cup to your lips. Before it has a chance to even enter your mouth, Dr. Erskine is frantically pulling them out of yours and Steve’s grips. 

“No, no, wait, wait. What I am doing? No, you have procedure tomorrow. No fluids.” 

“Alright, we’ll drink it after.” You respond cheekily to him. 

He gives you a look like your crazy before pouring the two cups into his. “No, I don’t have procedure tomorrow. Drink it after? Drink it now.” And he shot back the liquid. “Now, I’m sorry, Ms. Rogers, but you must be returning to your own barracks. You will see Mr. Rogers tomorrow morning.” 

You nod solemnly and get up to head to the door. Softly, you place your hand on Steve’s shoulder so that he’ll look at you. 

“Just so you know, Stevie. I didn’t agree to go because I want to watch out for you. I agreed because you’re my brother and I’m not gonna let you get experimented on without me to be by your side. Besides, I can’t let you have all the fun.” 

The corners of Steve’s lips turned up before he nodded his head in concession to you. You squeezed his shoulder before moving to open the door. 

“You better try to get some sleep tonight, little brother. It sounds like we’re going to be in for a crazy day and you’ll keep me up all night with your worrying.” You called over your shoulder before disappearing after Dr. Erskine into the dark.


End file.
